SPORTS BRIEFS

Agencies

RUGBY UNION

Wales defeat Japan

Wales’ Harry Robinson scored a try midway through the second half yesterday as an inexperienced Welsh side rallied to beat Japan 22-18. Michael Broadhurst scored a try in the 37th minute as Japan took an 11-6 lead to halftime, but Dan Biggar erased the deficit with two penalty-kicks before Robinson’s try, converted by Bigger, made it 19-11. Japan closed the gap to 19-18 on a late try by Yoshikazu Fujita, but a Rhys Patchell penalty in the final minute sealed the win for the visitors. Japan lost their eighth straight match to Wales. The two teams are to meet again in Tokyo on Saturday. Wales, playing without 15 British Lions and almost as many others injured or rested, fielded a side with only 51 starting caps between them.

CRICKET

Royals face IPL suspension

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) champions the Rajasthan Royals faced suspension from the cash-rich tournament on Friday after their co-owner admitted to betting on the Twenty20 matches. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called an emergency meeting of its working committee in New Delhi tomorrow to discuss the fate of the team which is captained by Rahul Dravid. “We have taken cognisance of the Raj Kundra issue. We are going to discuss it in our meeting on June 10 and if necessary, stringent measures will be taken,” BCCI interim head Jagmohan Dalmiya said late on Thursday. Raj Kundra, co-owner of the Royals alongside his Bollywood actress and former Big Brother contestant wife Shilpa Shetty, has admitted to illegal gambling on the competition, according to police. He has since been ordered to hand over his passport.

SOCCER

League votes for loan rules

English Football League clubs voted unanimously on Friday to bring rules for international loans into line with domestic arrangements, closing a loophole that had allowed Watford to bring in 10 players from Italian side Udinese. Foreign loan deals were previously not subject to Football League rules which restrict match-day squads to five domestic loan players, with a maximum of four from any one club. The 72 English Football League clubs, the three professional divisions outside the Premier League, took the vote at their annual general meeting in Portugal. Championship (second tier) Watford, who missed out on promotion to the Premier League after losing last month’s playoff final to Crystal Palace, share the same owners as Udinese and Spanish club Granada. Watford’s loan players included the Championship player of the season, Udinese’s Czech striker Matej Vydra.

MOTORCYCLING

Spectators hurt in crash

Eleven spectators were taken to hospital, one of them seriously injured, after a crash on the opening lap of the Isle of Man Senior TT motorcycle race on Friday, organizers said. ACU Events said in a statement that the injuries ranged “from slight to serious. None are believed to be life threatening at this time.” The BBC reported that British rider Jonathan Howarth crashed on the fast Bray Hill descent — a popular viewing point near the start — soon after setting off. He was unhurt, but witnesses reported the bike and debris flying into the crowd. The race was halted immediately, with a re-start scheduled. The TT races are generally regarded as the most dangerous in motorcycling, with 240 rider fatalities since 1907. The latest was 43-year-old Japanese Yoshinari Matsushita, who was killed in practice last week. He was the 21st to die at the circuit since 2000.